Golf News

Nov 9 (Infostrada Sports) - FedEx Cup rankings 1. (1) Bae Sang-Moon (South Korea) 605 2. (2) Robert Streb (U.S.) 600 3. (3) Ben Martin (U.S.) 552 4. Bubba Watson (U.S.) 550 5. (4) Ryan Moore (U.S.) 541 6. (84) Tim Clark (South Africa) 366 7. (5) Brendon De Jonge (Zimbabwe) 363 8. (6) Kevin Streelman (U.S.) 356 9. (7) Steven Bowditch (Australia) 325 10. (9) Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 265 11. (8) Will MacKenzie (U.S.) 263 12. (10) Kevin Na (U.S.) 259 13. (10) Sergio Garcia (Spain) 249 14. (10) Gary Woodland (U.S.) 222 15. (13) Tony Finau (U.S.) 200 16. (14) Brooks Koepka (U.S.) 193 17. (15) Russell Knox (Britain) 192 18. (16) Hudson Swafford (U.S.) 189 19. (17) Martin Laird (Britain) 174 20. (22) John Senden (Australia) 172 21. (18) Kevin Kisner (U.S.) 169 22. (28) Hunter Mahan (U.S.)

New Delhi (AFP) - Shiv Chowrasia of India clinched his third Asian Tour title when he defeated compatriot Rahil Gangjee and Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka in the play-off to win the Panasonic Open on Sunday. Chowrasia, who began the final round five shots off the lead, made a remarkable comeback by rolling in a 15-foot birdie in the play-off to win the $300,000 event at the Delhi Golf Club. The 36-year-old, whose final-round score of six-under-par 66 included eight birdies, said he was delighted to win a Tour title after three years. "I worked very hard for this win because I wanted to boost my confidence," Chowrasia said. "It is three years since I last won and I will take a lot of positives from the win. "I’ve lost in two play-offs before but that never crossed my mind. I was focused on making the birdie putt in the play-off. I always had the belief that I could win on the Asian Tour again and I did." Gangjee, who finished with

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Local favorite S.S.P. Chowrasia lifted his third Asian Tour title on Sunday, coolly rolling in a 15-foot birdie putt to prevail in a three-way playoff at the Delhi Golf Club. Fondly called "Chipputsia" for his impressive short game, the Kolkata golfer began the final round five shots off lead before firing eight birdies in the day's lowest score of six-under-par 66 to join compatriot Rahil Gangjee (71) and Sri Lankan Mithun Perera (70) on 12-under-par 276. "It is three years since I last won and I will take a lot of positives from the win," said the 36-year-old Chowrasia, who won his first Asian Tour title at the 2008 Indian Masters at the same venue. "At the start of the day, I was thinking that if I could shoot a four or five-under, I will have a chance to win. I was confident I could catch the leader." Gangjee, who led for three days, foun

By Andrew Both SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Tim Clark, Graeme McDowell and Hiroshi Iwata were all left ruing missed opportunities at the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament won by American Bubba Watson on Sunday. Watson beat South Africa's Clark in a playoff, while Northern Irishman McDowell and Japan's Iwata finished tied for third with American Rickie Fowler, one shot back, after both men failed to sink birdie putts on the final hole at Sheshan. Clark birdied the par-five 18th to match Watson's 11-under-par total and earn a spot in the playoff but the short-hitting Canadian Open champion could not repeat the feat a few minutes later to extend the contest further. "I'm pleased overall (but) obviously disappointed to be that close," Clark told reporters. "I tried to play this course smart and it was enough to give me a shout. I just needed to play the playoff hole better."

By Andrew Both SHANGHAI (Reuters) - American Bubba Watson sank a 30-yard bunker shot for eagle at the par-five 18th to earn a spot in a playoff and then drained a lengthy birdie putt on the same hole minutes later to win the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament on Sunday. Watson, the reigning U.S. Masters champion, added another big title to his resume when he holed from about 18 feet at the first extra hole to edge South African Tim Clark after the pair finished tied on 11-under-par 277 at Sheshan Golf Club. Clark missed his birdie chance from about 20 feet, his putt holding a good line but running out of steam just inches from the hole. Earlier, Clark had birdied the final hole in regulation to card 69, while Watson shot 70 in the same penultimate group. They finished one shot ahead of Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, Japan's Hiroshi Iwata and American Rickie Fowler after an excitin

(Reuters) - John Rollins moved a step closer to his first PGA Tour victory in five years by seizing a two-shot lead after the third round of the $4 million Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi on Saturday. The 39-year-old American, who is playing out of the past champion category after failing to record a top-10 finish on the 2013-14 PGA Tour, fired a four-under-par 68 at the Country Club of Jackson. Rollins, who has not won on the U.S. circuit since the 2009 Reno-Tahoe Open, made timely birdies at the 14th and 16th to keep his closest challengers at bay before ending his round with a 14-under total of 202. William McGirt sank a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-four last for a 66 to secure second place at 12 under, one stroke better than fellow Americans Lucas Glover (67) and Jason Bohn (66). Rollins, who scrambled a par on the final hole after his drive ended up in the right rough,

Jackson (United States) (AFP) - John Rollins knows there is plenty at stake in Sunday's final round of the $4 million USPGA Tour event in Jackson but he's doing his best to keep his emotions in check. "It is just another round of golf," said Rollins who fired a four-under 68 Saturday to take a two-shot lead into the fourth round of the Sanderson Farms Championship. The 39-year-old American is playing this week's event on a conditional status but a win Sunday would make him fully exempt through the 2016-17 Tour season. "Last year was a very disappointing year for me," Rollins said. "I am just enjoying where I am at right now. My golf game feels pretty good and I am having fun with it. "I will try it one more day and see where it stacks up." Rollins finished 54 holes at 14-under-par 202 at the Country Club of Jackson. He will go for his fourth USPGA Tour title on Sunday. William McGirt fired a six-under 66 a

Shanghai (AFP) - Graeme McDowell lashed the snail-like pace of play Saturday at the WGC-HSBC Champions as "ridiculous" after a third round of one-under-par 71 reduced his lead to a single shot. McDowell has led for all three days of the $8.5 million Shanghai event known as "Asia's Major", but he and playing partner Ian Poulter were angered by having to spend more than five and a half hours on the course in cold and damp conditions. "Ridiculous," McDowell told AFP after finishing in near-darkness, having teed off at 10.50am (0250 GMT). Play ended in the gloom at 4.30pm, just a few minutes before sunset. "We got to the fourth tee, the par three, and there was already a group on it," McDowell lamented. "We've got threeballs, a lot of people out there and a couple of driveable par fours and a couple of two-shot par fives. Just a slow golf course. A long day," said McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion

By Andrew Both SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Graeme McDowell tried to look on the positive side as his lead was trimmed to one stroke after the third round at the $8.5 million WGC-HSBC Champions tournament on Saturday. The Northern Irishman battled to a one-under-par 71 after starting the day with a three-shot advantage on the difficult Sheshan course, his mediocre display allowing five other players to move within three strokes with one round remaining. McDowell posted an 11-under 205 total, while Japanese surprise package Hiroshi Iwata (68) birdied the last to occupy second on 10-under in his first WGC event, with German Martin Kaymer (66) and American Bubba Watson (69) two strokes behind. McDowell is seeking to become a wire-to-wire winner and keep the WGC series in Northern Irish hands after Rory McIlroy, who is not playing here, won the Bridgestone Invitational in August. Morning rain ma

By Andrew Both SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The name Hiroshi Iwata looked conspicuously out of place surrounded by major champions on the leaderboard after the third round at the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament on Saturday. Iwata was only one stroke behind leader Graeme McDowell at the prestigious event, and the Northern Irishman readily admitted he had never even heard of his closest pursuer. "Nothing," McDowell told reporters when asked what he knew of Iwata. "No disrespect, but genuinely never heard of him. I saw him make one swing today and it looked like a beautiful swing (so) I'm looking forward to seeing what it's all about tomorrow." Iwata, 33, is a late bloomer, who this July notched his first victory on the Japan Tour at the Fujisankei Classic. He is third on that tour's money list. This is his first WGC event but he has looked far fro

Nov 8 (Infostrada Sports) - Scores from the WGC-Champions Tournament at the par-72 course on Saturday in Shanghai 205 Graeme McDowell (Britain) 67 67 71 206 Hiroshi Iwata (Japan) 73 65 68 207 Martin Kaymer (Germany) 69 72 66 Bubba Watson (U.S.) 71 67 69 208 Tim Clark (South Africa) 69 70 69 Rickie Fowler (U.S.) 69 70 69 209 Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) 72 68 69 Ian Poulter (Britain) 70 67 72 210 Jonas Blixt (Sweden) 71 68 71 212 Lee Westwood (Britain) 70 73 69 Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 70 70 72 Chris Kirk (U.S.) 69 74 69 Marc Leishman (Australia) 72 71 69 Brandt Snedeker (U.S.) 69 74 69 213 Adam Scott (Australia) 70 72 71 Alexander Levy (France) 74 68 71 Wu Ashun (China) 74 70 69 Hunter Mahan (U.S.) 74 68 71 214 Ge

For those of you ready to move past our basic Driver Buying for Dummies strategies, we're ready to take you to the next level. This guide is still for the guy who wants no part of working with a fitter - you're an off-the-racker, and that's ok. This guide is for the DIYer willing to put in a little bit more work. It's for the guy who wants to look a little deeper at the numbers. It's for the guy who can come to terms with the kind of things some golfers don't want to hear. The 5 suggestions from the first guide still apply, we're simply building on that to help you make a more informed decision when it comes time to buy your next driver. 1. Understand Tempo A number of variables impact shaft fitting, but we believe tempo and transition are the most important. The guy that swings 110 may not need an x-stiff shaft, while another who only swings 95 might. Not only will quicker, more aggressive swingers generally get more consistent (and better

David Toms, seeking his first PGA Tour win since 2011, charged into a tie for the lead in the second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi. The 47-year-old American piled up six birdies, including four in his last six holes, to card a flawless six-under-par 66 at the Country Club of Jackson. Toms signed off by sinking a five-footer to birdie his final hole, the ninth, for a 10-under total of 134 and finish level with compatriot John Rollins, who also returned a 66. Rollins briefly got to 11 under with his eighth birdie of the round, at the 15th, but slipped back with a bogey at the par-four 17th where he missed the green with his approach. Canadian Nick Taylor was alone at eight under after shooting a 69 before play was suspended due to fading light with 15 players still on the course. They will complete the second round on Saturday. Toms relished being grouped with fellow American Lucas Glover and Padraig Harrington for the first two rounds, with the tri

Outgoing European Tour chief executive George O'Grady says he is confident the organisation can continue to thrive after his departure. The 65-year-old has announced his plans to stand down from a role he was occupied since 2005, at a time of fierce competition for the sport's top players and sponsors from the PGA and Asian Tours. "We are in a very, very strong position now and it's why I have the confidence to slightly move aside," he told  Sky Sports News HQ . "We have long-term agreements with Sky and channels in the United States and long, strong contracts in place with our sponsors. We're taking bids for the 2022 Ryder Cup and we're in a really good position." O'Grady, who replaced Ken Schofield at the helm in January 2005, has spent more than 40 years working in professional golf and wants to ensure a smooth transition to his successor. "These things have to be planned through: I'm not going to step down tom

Ryder Cup star Graeme McDowell holds a three-shot lead after two rounds of the £5.4milllion WGC-HSBC Champions in China. McDowell, who won all three of his matches in Europe's victory at Gleneagles in September, held a two-shot lead overnight after an opening 67 at a toughened-up Sheshan International. And the former US Open champion remained out in front after a second straight five-under par round gave him a halfway total of 10-under 134 and increased his advantage by a shot. Ryder Cup team-mate Ian Poulter matched G-Mac's 67 to move up to second place on seven-under.  Masters champion Bubba Watson was another to post 67 after ending his round with five straight birdies and that took the left-hander into tied third with Japan's Hiroshi Iwata, who shot the round of the day, a seven-under 65. Full story to follow.....

WGC - HSBC Champions Sanderson Farms Championship Bet now: Latest golf odds Country Club of Jackson Date: 6th - 9th November Weather Min: 5°C, Max: 22°C Chance of thunderstorm. Wind: SE at 13km/h. Humidity: 97%. Chance of precipitation: 80%

Graeme McDowell was left to rue two closing bogeys but his first round 67 was still good enough to grab a two-shot lead after the first round of the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai. The 10th anniversary of the event has attracted a stellar field with 40 of the world’s top 50 taking part in the biggest event outside of the Open and US Open. And it’s Northern Irishman McDowell who leads the way after a flying start to the day at Sheshan International which saw him play his first 12 holes in seven-under-par. He dropped two shots in his last six holes though to finish on five-under for the tournament, but that was still two strokes better than the chasing pack of six including Rickie Fowler and Martin Kaymer on three-under. Starting from the 10th, the Ryder Cup star birdied his opening hole and picked up further shots on the 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th to race to the turn in 31, before birdies at the second and third took him well clear of a star-studded field. However, the

WGC - HSBC Champions Sanderson Farms Championship Bet now: Latest golf odds Sheshan International GC Date: 6th - 9th November Par: 72 Yardage: 7266

Sergio Garcia will look to turn a string of near-misses into a lucrative victory in the £5.4million WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai this week. But the Ryder Cup star still does not hold out much hope of catching the absent Rory McIlroy at the top of the Race to Dubai standings to become European number one for the first time in his career. Garcia has recorded four second-place finishes in his last eight events, including being joint runner-up in the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. However, by opting to play on the PGA Tour rather than in the first event of the European Tour's Final Series - the BMW Masters - the Spaniard was unable to close the gap to McIlroy, which stands at more than three million points. And the 34-year-old - who had three straight second-place finishes this summer in the Travelers Championship, Open Championship and US PGA - actually dropped from second to third on the Race to Dubai thanks to Gleneagles team-mate Jamie Donaldson clai

George O’Grady has announced he will step down as chief executive of the European Tour as soon as his successor is found. An announcement had originally been planned to coincide with the season-ending finale DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, but recent media speculation has hastened the process. The 65-year-old became only the third chief executive in the European Tour’s history in 2005, succeeding John Jacobs, who supervised the Tour’s formative years from 1971 to 1974 and Ken Schofield, who took over the reins on January 1, 1975. He has been with The European Tour for over 40 years and during this time he has been instrumental in its development, including the implementation of The Race To Dubai and The Final Series, overseeing the significant growth of The Ryder Cup, securing key TV and sponsorship agreements and helping the process which saw golf reinstated in the Olympic Games. George O’Grady commented: “In the aftermath of what I believe to have bee

A stellar field make their way to Sheshan International in Shanghai, China for the 10th running of the WGC-HSBC Champions. This is the second leg of The Race to Dubai’s Final Series, the four-tournament swing which concludes the 2014 season. Rory McIlroy still leads the points race by a distance - his tally of 5,400,700 is more than double that of second-placed Jamie Donaldson - and, like last week, the Northern Irishman sits this one out. World no 6 Justin Rose heads the betting at 12/1 while Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson - ranked 2nd, 3rd and 5th in the world - come next at 16/1. US Open winner Martin Kaymer and Masters champion Bubba Watson have also made the trip to China while McIlroy is the only member of Europe's Ryder Cup winning team at Gleneagles not present. Past winners A look at the winners' roll-call shows that the cream really does rise to the crop in this event. Reading back from 2013, it shows: Dustin Johnson, Ian Poulter, Martin

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. â€" Grant Sturgeon won the PGA Assistant Championship on Sunday, closing with a 7-under 65 â€" the best final round in tournament history â€" for a seven-stroke victory over Kenny Pigman. Sturgeon, a PGA assistant professional at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, New York, had a 13-under 275 total on PGA Golf Club's Wanamaker Course. ''Today's the best I ever played when it really mattered,'' Sturgeon said. ''I hit the ball really well, gave myself a ton of opportunities and made a lot of putts. It's one of those rounds we all play and practice for, so that everything goes right as it relates to bounces, ball-striking and short game. I was fortunate that all happened at the same time.'' Sturgeon earned $9,000 and spot in the 2015 PGA Professional National Championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club. ''It's huge for me to get into next year's PGA Professional National Championship,'' S

Marcel Siem chipped in for a birdie on the first playoff hole to secure a dramatic victory over Ross Fisher and Alexander Levy to claim the BMW Masters title in Shanghai. Overnight leader Levy’s form finally broke as he squandered a four-shot lead with a six-over round of 78 in tough blustery conditions at Lake Malaren dropping him into a three-man playoff. On a dramatic final hole of regulation, Siem missed a six-foot putt for the title, while Jamie Donaldson missed a putt to join the playoff and Levy holed his bogey putt to join Siem and Fisher in the playoff battle. While everyone else had struggled, Fisher blazed home with his five-under round of 67 by far the best round of the day which set the clubhouse lead on 16-under â€" the mark which Levy and Siem just about matched. All three found the fairway on the first playoff hole, but while Levy and Fisher found the green, Siem could only find the fringe with a tricky lie ahead of him for his third shot. The German

Alexander Levy shot 63 on Saturday to set the lowest 54-hole score on the European Tour this year with his 22-under-par putting him four shots in front at the BMW Masters. The Frenchman followed opening rounds of 65 and 66 with a bogey-free round of 63, nine-under-par, to charge into the lead at Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai. The 24-year-old started the day a shot behind leader Nicolas Colsaerts, but as the Belgian struggled to a 73 his playing partner came flying out of the blocks with three straight birdies to open up his third round. Birdies on the sixth and seventh followed as Levy reached the turn in 31, and he picked up four more birdies on his back nine to continue his flying form after winning the rain-shortened Portugal Masters three weeks ago. "I played amazing golf," said Levy. "I'm very surprised by myself. I started well and made some early birdies and hit some amazing shots. I am very happy with the way I played golf today. "It&